“The key to Ol’ AGS is that every member was individually outstanding prior to joining the group. They didn’t need Ol’ AGS to be popular, respected or liked…they did that on their own.”

— Chris Cochran ‘97

The Five Pillars of Ol' AGS

The foundation of Ol'AGS rests on five major pillars:

Accountability

"A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody."

- Thomas Paine

integrity

"Perhaps the surest test of an individual's integrity is his refusal to do or say anything that would damage his self-respect."

- Thomas S. Monson

honor

"No amount of ability is of the slightest avail without honor."

- Thomass Carlyle

humility

"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

- 1 Peter 5:5

passion

"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion."

- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Travis Draper '18

A Letter from Our President

Howdy,

The Old Army Gentlemen’s Society, or OL’ AGS, is a men’s social, service, and leadership organization at Texas A&M University. Since our founding in 1995, we have been committed to being “Aggies First” and have worked towards the continued improvement of our University, our fellow students, the community of Bryan/College Station, and ourselves.

Everything our organization does is guided by our five core values: Accountability, Honor, Humility, Integrity, and Passion. The Old Army Gentlemen’s Society’s membership currently consists of 42 of the “best of the best” - the top leaders at Texas A&M University. OL’ AGS past and current members have included yell leaders; student body presidents; commissioners, directors and senators in the Texas A&M Student Government Association; MSC presidents; Maroon Coats; Corps of Cadets Staff and Outfit Commanders; Directors of Fish Camp, CARPOOL, Muster, and Traditions Council; and several other gentlemen who serve Texas A&M through a variety of positions.

We bring leaders together from across campus to reach out in service to the surrounding community through our service projects and philanthropies in ways that are possible only through our unity. Through our main philanthropy - the annual Powder Puff tournament - and many other philanthropic opportunities, we were able to raise over $17,000 last year and we look forward to breaking that record this year. The admissions schedule, organization news, pictures, and member contact information can be found on this website by clicking the above links.

Thank you for your interest in our organization and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself directly at OLAGS.President@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Travis Draper '18President

Our history

In 1995, a group of male student leaders were incredibly busy with school and the extracurricular activities they were a part of. Though they played 42 together often and watched Monday Night Football together every Monday, they found it difficult to find time to step away from all of their obligations and simply enjoy time with their friends like they wanted to. Ten founding members came together and wrote a constitution in September of 1995, earning University-approved recognition and creating the organization called the Old Army Gentlemen’s Society. Our inception was marked with the ideal of being “Aggies First” in order to bring together members from all walks of life at Texas A&M and contribute money, talent, and time back to our beloved University. T.J. Williams, the first president of the organization, was quoted in a 1996 Battalion saying that in OL’ AGS “we want to build friendships, give back to A&M, and have fun doing it.” He continued by saying “it’s not all service or all social; it’s a mixture of both.” From there, the ten original members selected officers and accepted new members, bringing the organization to 50 members and kicking OL’ AGS off in the right direction. They began raising donations for our original philanthropy with events like the Escort Pilot Program through the Guard Room and a volleyball tournament in the spring of 1997.

These notions set forth by our Founding Fathers continue to this day. We remain true to our social beginnings through events like crush parties, date parties, and mixers with various sororities and women’s organizations, yet service still plays a crucial and integral part of what we do. Since 1995, we have adopted three different philanthropies – Kingdom Ranch in Somerville, TX, Isaiah’s Place in Whitney, TX, and Head Start in Bryan, TX – that we give thousands of dollars to on an annual basis. In that same 1996 Battalion article, the original Finance Chair of OL’ AGS, Trip Franty, said that “with the potential of putting those types of leaders together, it was exciting to think of everything [we] could accomplish.” Now, more than ever, that statement rings true. OL’ AGS strives to take gentlemen from various areas of campus who have established themselves as leaders at Texas A&M in order to give them a social outlet from their various obligations. At the heart of it all, we operate under both our five pillars – Accountability, Honor, Humility, Integrity, and Passion – and the motto “Aggies First, Gentlemen Always,” remaining focused on how we can continue to give back to the University that has given so much to us.

The gentlemen of OL’ AGS have reached success both in their time at Texas A&M and in life beyond the walls of our University. Current and previous members have served in leaderships roles such as Student Body Presidents, Class Presidents, Yell Leaders, Texas A&M Foundation Maroon Coats, the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, the Ross Volunteer Company, Parson’s Mounted Cavalry, Fish Camp Staff and Counselors, delegates to the Abbott Family Leadership Conference and Spencer Leadership Conference, directors of FLO’s, and many more. Beyond A&M, these members have gone on to find success in the business, political, and military sectors throughout the nation and the world. We are honored to give our time back to our beloved University and are proud of our rich leadership history.